Royal Return
by TheRyuuMaster
Summary: Logan is moments away from being put to death when the return of a man long thought dead stops it all. The greatest hero of our time and a man who is said to hold more power than any in the line before him. What will this mean for the kingdom of Albion, or it's new ruler? A story I wrote in about 3 or so hours after playing too much video games. T for a short bout of violence.


Written in about 2 or 3 hours after I played maybe a little too much of the Fable series all in a row. I don't do fanfiction that much but feel free to tell me what you think. Most likely a one off, and if you decide "hey, this story is pretty cool, I wanna write the rest" then please just ask me first and I'll probably just say yes. Anyway, disclaimer time

I don't own Fable yadda yadda owned by whoever and this stuff was written down by me from my brain. Enjoy!

Walter's voice roared out over the hisses of the crowd as they boo'd their former king Logan, the man whom had been oppressing them for years. The man himself glared past him into his younger brother's eyes.

"Logan." The old soldier spoke. "Former king of Albion, you stand accused today of crimes against the kingdom and it's people. Those who brought you to justice will now speak." First to walk forward was Sabine, the old man who was still full of energy, and King of Mistpeak, the mountains to the north.

"There's not a soul alive in the kingdom who hasn't suffered for his glory. And plenty who've died for it." He leaned down further into his haunch, looking into the eyes of the hero of the land and new king. "I say, let him have some death of his own!" The crowd present for the court began to give their cheers, but before he could go further Captain Benjamin Finn started to give his own piece.

"Look, i'm not one for lopping people's heads off, but we saw Major Swift executed! Like it was a bloody circus act!" At this time he turned to look the denounced royalty in the eyes. His voice coming down from a anger filled shout to a growl as he spoke through gritted teeth, looking as if he would do the job right there if only permitted. "He deserves nothing less as far as I'm concerned." Going off from the two before her was Page, trying to appeal to the kinder nature of the crowd.

"But aren't we better than that?" She said, looking to her king and ally. "Isn't that why we fought to be here now? I've seen what Logan has done to this city. People starving to death, children forced to work. But killing him now won't solve anything." Some of the crowd died down at this moment, a few murmurs between one another on what they should do, and Kalin used this to her advantage to speak up herself. The monkish woman a bit new to such things, but still able to appeal to the better nature of people.

"It's not my place to decide his fate." She said, looking out toward the crowd rather than those around her, momentarily resting her eyes on Logan's as he stared back blankly. "But his betrayal condemned many of my people to death. He promised us salvation and then left us to face the darkness alone."

"I had good reason to break that promise." Said Logan" "And I had good reason for the crimes you claim I committed." This turned the crowd against him once more. The murmurs went back to angry shouting and the guards had to stop a few people from rushing past the ropes at the criminal. "The day I returned to Albion, I received a visit from a blind seer." This peaked the young king's interest, and he sat forward in his chair. "Theresa, our father's guide. She showed me the future of this kingdom; the darkness in Aurora is coming here!" A hush fell over all in the room, but he did not stop. "Bringing death, destruction, and the end of our way of life!" Taking a few steps forward, Walter placed a hand on his chest but he still continued. "The sacrifices I had to make, I did them to protect Albion. If a few had to suffer, it was to build an army. If a few had to die it was to save a country!" He looked deep into his brother's eyes, a genuine sincerity the man could only recall to their time as children. "I have spent years in preparing for this attack. Let me stand by your side now and all my soldiers will be yours to command. Let us face the coming darkness, together." Walter spoke up at this moment, just as he finished.

"If this is true…" He paused, taking a breath to calm himself. "...If it's really coming here… we're all in grave danger."

The new king looked to the floor, inspecting it as if it held the answer as to what he should do. Logan spoke once more, trying to convince him for what may or may not be right. "You have the power over life and death, brother. Now choose." At these words, memories back to the start of his quest, before he made his way to usurp the throne, before everything, these same words were said to him on another. Elise, the woman he loved. Fueled by his anger at her loss once more he stood from his throne. It may have been selfish, petty even, but he spoke what he wished after years.

"You can't escape punishment for what you've done, Logan! I sentence you to-"

"And what's all this then?"

A voice, familiar to him and many of the crowd, spoke up from the doorway. All turned to see the intruder, including Logan. What they saw was a giant of a man, putting even the massive Boulder to shame, walking down the blue royal carpet. Strapped to his back a massive hammer with a strange purple rock for the head the size of the man's chest. His hair was long and grey, and he wore armor covered in scratches and dents. At his side was a pistol with a spiked hilt and a crank where the trigger should be. What drew most people's eyes however were the scars on his neck and face. What looked like large blue cracks in the man's handsome mask, covered by a short equally greying beard.

"I swear, you kids. You were like this even when you were young. If I was gone longer than a few hours you'd think I got torn apart by beetles and go crying to your mother. I don't know how Alex was ever able to handle you two!"

He continued walking people looked on in absolute shock. Here stood what many believed to be a ghost, someone whom they had all seen as a fair and just ruler for longer than most could remember. A man who took up the throne unwillingly, but ruled anyway and with a fair and strong hand. Walter was the first in the crowd to recover.

"As I live and breath… we thought you were dead…"

The man laughed aloud, a boom that echoed out over the silent crowd.

"And just what did you think could keep me down? I've gone up against everything that could kill a man, and then got up and did it again just for fun! If anything out there can kill me I'm not sure it even wants to meet me!"

He made his way to where Logan stood, eyes still wide before going stern once more.

"Father…"

"Logan! Is this anyway to greet your old man? Come here you!"

He pulled the comparatively small man into his chest. The man was shocked a moment, somewhat literally by the pulse of will energy that seemed to pour from the man, before accepting the hug of the old man and wrapping his arms around him. Trying his best to hide it, Logan began to sob into his chest. "I… we… Father… we missed you so much… I didn't know what to do. I tried to lead this kingdom but."

"Quiet will you," Said the old hero with a chuckle "you'll make a scene." Looking up from his elder son he motioned to the younger for him to step forward. "Come on then Sparrow, don't keep us standing here."

"Silence!" Said the new king, glaring down at his father much to the surprise of all. "Your arrival does not mean anything here! Logan is responsible for the death of thousands! People's loved ones, other people's fathers! I am the new king, you have no more say here!" The old man watched his son with confusion before letting out a long sigh. He made to take a step forward before the boy shouted once more. "Do not come any closer!" This gave the old king an even greater look of confusion on his face.

"What are you afraid of my boy? Me?"

"I have spent years of my life trying to get the crown so that Logan may be punished, you would try to take it all from me just as it is about to happen!"

This brought another laugh from the old man, this one more out of disbelief than hearing a joke. "Boy, why would I be after the crown after being away from it for ten or so years? Also let's face facts, if I were after it there wouldn't be a soul here that could stop me." The boy growled at this and with a hand motion several guards moved away from the crowds and toward the man. He didn't move, simply looking across at them and back to his son. "Boy… you don't know what you are doing here." His voice was calm but stern, looking into his eyes.

"Seize them both. Take the old man down to the dungeon and Logan to the gallows. He shall hang for his crimes." With that, a guard approached from the back, grasping at his arm, Walter decided this would be the best time to step back and toward Logan.

"Last chance to call off my guard boy, before things in this room get violent." The guard made to pull on him and lead him away, but he simply didn't move. It was like trying to pull an oak from the ground or a stone from the side of a mountain, he didn't even budge.

"They are _my_ guard now! Move now or I will move you myself!" The new king held his gun at his side, master work and much more shiny than the relic the old man held. The old man shook his head with a sigh.

"You were always the stubborn one." With those words, the man grasped onto the arm of the royal guard and flung him forward, forcing the king to duck with wide eyes. The man sailed forward, smashing through the throne and tumbling to with wall. With speeds that should not have been possible for a man either his size or age, the hammer was in his hands and ready to strike. With a flourish he struck a man in the stomach and sent him soaring into the crowds where many screamed and cheered. Next was the guard on his right who he slammed his head into their face plate, denting the exterior and seemingly knocking the man unconscious immediately.

A guard wised up and began stepping back as he removed his rifle from his back. The other charged him behind with a blade which the old king side stepped. With one hand he spun the massive hammer and caught him in the ankles and sent him tumbling down the short stairs and landing at Logan's feet. Another guard raised a blade at the hero king and attacked quickly, but the blade was deflected each time by the hammer until he looked to get bored of playing and called down a bolt of lightning with will. With a few convulsions he fell to the ground with a groan.

At this time, two more guard approached Logan to drag him away, however one was knocked to the ground by none other than Walter and the other turned toward him. "Sorry mate, but our king hasn't given his sentence on him yet." He raised his blade and began to parry the armored foe, aiming to disarm our knock the man unconscious in some way, he was still one of his men even if he was working under the wrong man's orders. A rifle shot sounded, distracting the guard just enough for Walter to push the sword away and stun him with an elbow to the head. He would be nursing the bruise later, but the foe was down.

The shot had been aimed from the guard that had backed away, but went wild as the old king moved with grace that he shouldn't, rolling backward and standing with his own gun. Six shots rang out what seemed simultaneously and the guard's rifle soared into the air before being caught in the gauntleted hand of the hero who shot it. The guard gave brief pause before realizing what had happened and decided it would be better if he simply surrendered, raising his hands to his head. However, while the old hero gave a cocky smile, another shot rang out which caught him in the shoulder. He gritted his teeth and looked to where the shot came from. Standing at the throne was his youngest, Sparrow, whom was firing his own pistol after seeing his guards had failed. Knowing that if any shots went wide from this angle would result in the death of some in the crowd, he chose to weather the storm of bullets. He covered his head with his armored arms as the hail of bullets came down on him. When it paused for a reload he raised his own gun and fired, disarming his son. With a roar he pulled out his sword, but it too was shot from his hand.

"I am your son!" He roared as flames ignited in his hands. Throwing a quick blast at the elder king and hero. The man dropped his hammer and caught the flame which extinguished. "I am a hero!" Throwing another, it had the same effect. "I am your king!" This third blast was not extinguished, but instead seemed to increase in power when it landed in his palm.

"You are not fit to be king, you are a tyrant." The flame increased in power even more as he charged more will. "You are not fit to be a hero, fighting for a crown instead of for the people." The flame increased even more, making the whole room glow in a blazing light, powerful enough to block out the light from outside. "And you are not fit to be my son, if it means you would kill you own brother." With both arms, the small sun of power sailed forward at the king who closed his eyes for pain. A moment passed as he felt the heat just in front of him, before a hand was placed on his head. Opening his eyes he saw his father standing just in front of him, having used a time spell to quickly close the distance, and holding the flame spell an inch or so from his son's face as it slowly extinguished. "But you can still be saved."

The boy collapsed in what was left of the throne, but in doing so left the crown in his father's large hand. Placing it on his head, he finished off the draining of will energy from the flame as he looked out over the crowd. Thinking over his words, he spoke to the stunned crowd.

"There's going to be some changes! Some for the better, a lot for the better, but others you aren't going to like. Like this one, Logan, gather your men. They're going to be under Walter's control." He then turned to Page, who stood up straighter as if a soldier was just looked at by their commanding officer. "You there, you're the leader of the revolution correct? Bowerstone Resistance was it?"

"Yes sir! Err, king… my liege… your highness!" She stammered.

With a small huff he grinned at the girl. "Don't kneel down to me girl, I need a strong spirit now. You'll be working with Finn. Your resistance is the closest thing to a militia we've got, but their more passionate than trained and if this darkness is coming we need a person with courage as much as we need someone that can hold a gun the right way around." With a nod, she turned to Finn who started to converse military tactics with her, and she their armies flaws. The man then turned to Sabine, the slightly younger man. "This will call for your men too Sabine, we'll need your hardy folk to take this fight to them."

"Take this fight to them you say? I can't say my people will handle the heat so well, but I'll see what I can do."

"And you, Kalin." He locked eyes with her with a stern brow. "I know what my sons have both promised you, and you have no reason to trust me yourself-"

"Stop. I will help." She comments. "You will be doing something my people have waited a very long time for, and from what I glimpsed from your fight I truly believe for the first time there is someone that can defeat it."

"Then speak with the others, tell them everything you know of the darkness from fact to fairy tail." She nods as well, and with a bow leads Sabine to the others as Finn takes them to the strategy room. As the crowd funneled out, this left both kings alone in the room, the unconscious guards helping each other off to nurse their wounds. His son stared blankly at the ground at his failure. All this time to reach the throne and it was all for nothing. His father came in and saved the day when everything really mattered.

"Do you remember when you were small?" His father said, sitting on the steps in front of the throne. "You and your brother always running off to who knows where, making your mother worried sick as I was off myself galavanting around doing who knows what who knows where…" He paused a moment and waved for his son to come forward. The clothing on his chest was singed where the flaming orb got too close. When he took a seat next to him he started again. "Logan was always reading his books and it bored you to tears. You would then run out looking for monsters to fight… always the little hero…"

"More often than not it just got me trouble."

The two shared a short chuckle before the silence overcame them both. A few moments passed before his father spoke again.

"When you were taken off by those hobbes… I was worried I'd never see you again. I thought that day I failed at being a father. I got you back fine yes, but if I had been watching you to start, you never would have been taken to begin with…"

"You and mom always worried too much."

"I knew you would be a great hero one day, I just hoped you would never want to. I never really thought of how dangerous being a hero could be until I had to rescue a man trying to be one in a cave full of hollowmen."

"That's the Charlie right?"

"He prefers Charles, don't let him catch you saying otherwise…"

Another few moments passed before he decided to speak again.

"I am incredibly proud of you. You did the impossible, took down the incredible, and stopped the undeniable. But you need to take a moment to think now. You can't make brash decisions like killing a man instead of making him face his crimes. This isn't a bandit you are dealing with, it's your brother."

"He had Elise killed!"

"I know Sparrow… I know… and he will be punished for this. But he cannot do that if you have him murdered… I always told you the story of the spire. But there is an inkling of the story I never told you."

"What is that."

"How it was my fault Aunt Rose was killed."

His son whipped his head to look at his father.

"How do you mean?"

"I always told you that story, saying that my sister made a wish to get to go to castle Fairfax, this castle albeit much smaller back then. But I made a wish, and it no doubt ended up with her death… I had wished to be the greatest hero the world had ever seen. If we had made some other with, for food or for a family I am sure my life would have taken a different path. But it didn't. I made that wish, and it had consequences… After I made my wish for family I received a letter from my sister, and eventually it gnawed at me too much to not be out looking for her. I left you and Logan with your mother here at the castle and went to parts unknown, part of the world that hadn't been seen by heroes for centuries. Every decision I made along the way, including leaving Logan behind with no true knowledge on running a kingdom, is my fault as well."

There was a silence once more before finally his son spoke up.

"We thought you died."

"I know… and in a way, I think I wish I had… I love you son. Everyone makes mistakes, but heroes are here to fix them."

With that he stood up and offered a hand to Sparrow.

"So what are you waiting for? We have problems to fix."

With a smile, his son took his hand and pulled himself to his feet.

And so, an even greater story began.


End file.
